Water from the sky!
at last we received a drenching soak.
all across the city sheets of water slid down the streets, soaked into our gardens, and trickled down to thirsty tree roots.
winter has arrived in los angeles with temps in the 60’s and nighttime lows in the upper 40’s.
i covered the bed with a freshly laundered winter blanket. catgirl & catboy are napping on top of it right now by the bedroom window.
i can see patches of blue and rays of sun beaming down through the branches. dappled tree shadows spreading across the porch, in the lane, and covering the patio.
stuff i found in the garage
a box of letters dating back 30 years.
a typed series of journal entries i wrote when i was 37. they end abruptly at a cliffhanger. whaaa? NOOOOOOO! yeah, it’s my life and i should know what happened next. except i don’t damnit!
i’m constantly learning how to be a better diarist by reading old journals of my younger self. when i return to the pages of my journal with pen in hand, i include all the details that feel cumbersome to write, but are deep wells of treasure for my future self.
i found an old christmas card from dear mama moss that i stood up next to a framed photo of her.
more stuff i found:
a box of seashells.
i’m going to take them to school so the kids can sort them, draw them, paint them, research the kinds of animals that made their homes inside.
a big book i made with my 2nd graders many moons ago.
i think my 5th graders will enjoy writing lists of lies. i’ll keep you posted!
feels good to clear the garage clutter. because my living space is only 648 sq. feet the garage had turned into a dumping ground for whatever i didn’t need in the house. but week by week i clear out more and more. by late january i should be able to see the back of the garage and more of the floor.
how are you? keep me posted on your clutter busting adventures, travel plans, unputdownable books, and whatever else you think i need to know.
I am laughing so hard at some of the things the kids wrote. I too am clearing the clutter. 28 years in an almost 4,000 sq. foot home one tends to collect stuff… Plus I now have my sister inlaws things as she passed away and I need to go through all that. I am still struggling over Diana’s passing. I miss her every day and her emails were always so delightful. I am planning on downsizing so this all must be done by next summer. Are you close to retiring and heading North?
Hi Mary Ann:
Just think of all the things you can do without all that stuff!
Lorna
makes me giddy to imagine the wide open space in my future garage
Oh I love the treasures you found ! When I moved cross country , I had to sell – donate – give away or throw away 3/4 of my stuff ! My garage was the worst too! I remember finding myself getting distracted when finding old photos , scrapbooks etc etc and would stop to read and laugh . So many of those things are the most precious ! ( like your mom’s card and the lie book!! ) very sweet blog post !
oh yes! so very many distractions, but they’re all part of the glorious getting clean process. i can’t imagine making such a big move like the one you made!
Mary Ann, everything about this post is “precious”! The card from your mom, the book of lies, the idea of combing old journals … Thank you for sharing. Jan
aw thanks jan for leaving me a note 🙂
Decluttering is my personal nemesis, so I really, really get it! Thank you for sharing all of these treasures! The seashells, the card from your mom, the book of never told lies…sigh. Your idea to share the shells with your students is remarkable! Hang on to that card and book! 🙂 Enjoy Venice!
the book is getting recycled but the card will be safely tucked away after the holidays 🙂
I love this post! Sweet card from your mom. I’m glad you had rain!
I love the lists in “Lies We Never Told.” The children were so clever. Their ideas were so fun. I bet they had the greatest time coming up funny and quirky “lies.”
Aunt Martha & Aunt Vonda also underlined their writings. Your card from Angis is a treasure.
And, I particularly love “deep wells of treasure for my future self.” Strikes a chord.
hello jacki! i happen to be here responding to comments when yours popped up. waving to ya.
What a loving mother you had! The projects you do with the kids are so interesting that adults would enjoy them too. So glad you finally have rain, and a soaking one too. I too am decluttering and downsizing, after 40 years in one place and stuff from deceased relatives too. The first time you do it is sort of like slicing off the top layer. Then you circle back and look at the stuff again and it is a little easier to let it go. After a third time you can really get rid of it. Try to at least keep samples of what is meaningful, like your mother’s card. You can even take pictures of stuff you have to get rid of but that still means something to you. Remember, your efforts will result in greater freedom in every sense.
that’s what i’m hoping for betsy!
Everybody know glues from around the workd sticked us to the walls! Love those lists!
Are you going with Pam Garrison next year? With the blue walk?
not going with pam, but she’s looking forward to it! i AM going to venice in a few weeks though weeeeeeeeee!
My mom always underlined words in cards too! Decluterring is not in my skill set, but damnit, I am going to try! Thanks for spurring me to action.
Your mom loved you so much❤️
how i love finding little cards and notes from her..seems i’ve got them tucked everywhere.
Oh Sister! That is a most excellent card from mom!!!!
Hi Mary Ann. It was nice that you shared the note from your mom … very sweet. The kids’ lie poetry was interesting and crazy. I’m still practicing away with gouache and decluttering anything I can get my hands on. That’s all for now!
enjoy your painting & decluttering deborah 🙂
Mama Moss’s card made me cry. So dear to see that she underlined words on greeting cards just like my mom and grandma. Got back from Venice a few weeks ago, right before the acqua altar. Tried to go to the oldest paper store in Italy several times, but it was never opened. Thought of you constantly when I was there. When is your trip? Xoxo
Did all of our mothers and grandmothers underline words in greeting cards! Loretta, which oldest paper shop in Italy??? I am madly experimenting with art journal techniques and morning pages and dreaming of retirement 😉 !
see my comment to loretta…xo
i think it’s only open for 30 minutes a week in the middle of the night. i went 3x and it was closed, but my fav store i ended up going to was nearby…if i remember correctly. i’ll be blogging this trip and will enjoy my journey to the eternally CLOSED paper store. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! when i retire you and faith and i need to return to italy for some S L O W travel.
Oh it made me cry too, Loretta! Maryann your mom could be our mom, (Loretta and I are sisters) or aunt, or grandmother. “Endless wonderful memories of you” oh my goodness, what more could you ask for!💛🧡
hello maria! your sister is my favorite person i’ve never met. how i used to love the family stories she told on her blog. please pester her to get back to writing it!